Adjustable support for tables



July 15, 1969 c. H. PRAGER 3,455,256

ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT FOR TABLES Filed Sept. 19, 1967 f #1115; Al P MawUnited States Patent ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An adjustable supportfor a table including spaced apart upper members secured to the table.The upper members have lower ends which depend from the table and arejoined to a horizontal bar. Lower legsare adjustably mounted in thehorizontal bar and depend therefrom to support the table at the desiredheight.

BACK-GROUND OF "PI-IE INVENTION Field of the invention The presentinvention relates generally to furniture construction and is moreparticularly concerned with improved means for varying the height oftables by means of adjustable supports.

Description of the prior art The height of work tables, and the like,must frequently be adjusted or varied in accordance with the height ofthe user, size of the object being worked on, or type of work beingperformed. It is generally desirable to provide such adjustments over arange of heights and through an infinite series of adjustments. Thetable is provided with ad- ,ustable supports for thesepurposes whichposition the table the desired height above the floor. Prior artadjustable height tables, particularly those in which the supports foldor collapse along the underside of the table, have often incorporatedtelescoping legs in which one portion of the leg fits inside a secondportion of the leg and is extensible therefrom. Although such legsprovide adjustable height to the table, they are prone to jammingbecause of the close tolerances required to provide sufficient rigidlyto the leg. The range of adjustment of telescoping legs is generallylimited to twice the length of one of the portions.

In addition, where the table must support heavy loads, it is necessaryto provide a latch or locking means engaging the leg portions whichadjustably locks the second portion of the leg in the first portion.Such latching means generally limits the adjustment of the supports topredetermined intervals or increments.

Summary of the invention It is, therefore, the object of the presentinvention to provide an adjustable support for a table which isinfinitely and easily adjustable over a wide range of heights, and whichis compactly storable along the underside of the table.

Briefly, the present invention provides an adjustable support for atable including at least one upper member secured to the table andhaving a lower end depending therefrom. A horizontal bar is joined tothe lower end of the upper member. A lower leg is adjustably mounted inthe horizontal bar and depends therefrom.

Brief description of the drawings FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of theadjustable support of the present invention including a portion of thetable,

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation similar to FIGURE 1 showing the adjustablesupport partially collapsed in preparation for storage;

3,455,256 Patented July 15, 1969 FIGURE 3 is a partial plan view of theunderside of the table showing the adjustable table leg fully collapsedand stored along the underside of the table; and

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the adjustable support ofthe present invention.

Description of the preferred embodiment Referring now to the figures,and particularly to FIG. URE 1, there is shown therein the adjustablesupport of the present invention indicated generally by the numeral 6.Adjustable support 6 positions platform. or table 8 above floor 10 at aheight dependent on the length of the support.

Adjustable support 6 includes one or more spaced upper members 12 whichmay be pivotally fastened to the underside of table 8 by brackets 14. Inthe embodiment of the invention shown in the figures, a pair of suchmembers 12 are provided. Upper members 12 lie in a common plane and areretained in the vertical position by collapsible braces 16 which arealso pivotally fastened to table 8 and to members 12. Braces 16 mayinclude strut 17 which lends additional rigidity to braces 16 and uppermembers 12.

A horizontal bar 18 is joined to the lower ends of upper members 12.Horizontal bar 18 may include terminal ends extending beyond the lowerends of upper members 12. While bar 18 is shown as tubular in thefigures, it may be of other configurations if desired.

One or more lower legs 20 are mounted on, and depend from, horizontalbar 18 so as to contact fioor 10 through rubber tips 22. Specifically,lower legs 20 may extend through appropriately sized holes in horizontalbar 18. While lower legs 20 may extend through the bar at variouspositions and angles in accordance with the use to which table 8 is tobe put, in the embodiment shown in the figures, lower legs 20 extendthrough bar 18 near the terminal ends of the bar parallel to, and in thesame plane as, upper members 12.

Lower legs 20 may be retained in horizontal bar 78 by splitting the endsof the bar extending beyond the holes mounting legs 20 so as to form apair of halves surrounding each of the legs, as shown in detail inFIGURE 4. The terminal ends of bar 18 may be reinforced by collars 19which are also split. The halves are drawn into engagement with thelower legs by inserting a bolt 24 or other fastener, partially threadedalong its length, through axially aligned holes in the halves. One endof bolt 24 has a handle 26 or other means of rotating the bolt affixedthereto while the other end is threaded in a threaded hole in one of thehalves. Lower legs 20 are retained in bar 18 by rotating bolts 24 byhandle 26 so as to draw the halves of the split ends of bar 18 togetherand into engagement with the lower legs.

The height of table 8 is easily adjusted by loosening bolts 24 andextending or retracting lower legs 20 and then retightening bolts 24.Flanges 28 prevent lower legs 20 from becoming dismounted from bar 18.Lower legs 20 may be retracted or extended by different amounts tocompensate for an uneven floor 10'.

Adjustable support 6 may be stored along the underside of table 8 bycollapsing braces 16, as shown in FIGURE 2, so as to allow adjustablesupport 6 to pivot toward table -8 on pivots 14. FIGURE 3 shows thesupport in the storage position. Lower legs 20 may be retracted inhorizontal bar 18 to a position along side upper members 12, therebycontributing compactness to adjustable support 6 when in the storedposition. It will be appreciated that as lower legs 20 are positionedalongside the upper members, the length of the lower legs 20 may beincreased by any desired amount, as shown in phantom in FIGURE 3, whilestill retaining the compact storage features of the adjustable support.This increases the range of heights through which the table may beadjusted.

-It also provides a convenient means of locking adjustable support 6 inthe collapsed position, since with lower legs 20 retracted to the extentshown in phantom in FIGURE 3, flange 28 will contact the underside oftable 8 as soon as an attempt is made to pivot adjustable support 6 awayfrom table 8, preventing further pivoting of the support.

While the embodiment of the invention described above is, at present,thought to be preferred, it will be appreciated that modification oralteration may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

I claim:

1. An adjustable support for a table comprising: a pair of spaced apartelongated upper leg portions, each of said portions having a first endsecured to the underside of the table and a second end extendingdownwardly therefrom, said upper leg portions lying in a common plane; ahorizontal bar joined to said second ends of said upper leg portions andlying in said common plane; and a pair of elongated lower leg portionsadjustably mounted on said horizontal bar for varying the length of saidlower leg portions, said lower leg portions being mounted on saidhorizontal bar at positions horizontally spaced along said bar from thejunctures of said upper leg portions and of terminal portions, saidhorizontal bar being joined to said second ends of said upper legportions at the center portion, said lower leg portions being mounted insaid horizontal bar adjacent the terminal portions.

4. The adjustable support of claim 2 wherein said up per leg portionsare parallel and said lower leg portions are adjustably mounted on saidhorizontal bar so as to be parallel to said upper leg portions, saidlower leg portions being of greater length than said upper leg portions,whereby said adjustable support, when in the storage position, may beretained therein by positioning said lower leg portions on saidhorizontal bar so that the ends of said lower leg portions extend beyondthe first ends of said upper leg portions and said hinges.

5. The adjustable support according to claim 1 wherein said upper legportions are parallel and said low leg portions are adjustably mountedon said horizontal bar so tions having a means associated therewith tomove said said bar, whereby compressive loads placed on the support byusage of the table are transmitted between said upper and lower legportions by the horizontal bar.

2. The adjustable support according to claim 1 wherein said spaced apartupper leg portions are secured to hinges afiixed to the underside of thetable for movement between a supporting position in which said supportextends downwardly from the underside of the table and a storage portionwherein said support lies along the underside of the table with said legportions parallel thereto.

3. The adjustable support according to claim 2 wherein said horizontalbar has a center portion separating a pair halves into engagement withsaid lower leg portions to retain them in the bar.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,059,432 4/1913 Burke. 2,618,49611/1952 Jonnson 24841l X 3,015,468 1/1962 Mooney 248--230 3,079,167 2/1963 Russell.

JAMES T. McCALL, Primary Examiner US. Cl X.R. 248-411

